Dust-guard for car-axle boxes.



No. 686,7l5. Patented Nov. I9, 190|. S. A. BRUNE.

DUST GUARD FOR CAB AXLE BOXES.

(Application led Mar. 12, 1901.)

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(No Model.)

ATTORNEY mi Norm ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo c UNTED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

SETH A. CR'ONE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DUST-GUARD FOR CAR-AXLE BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,715, dated November19, 1901. Application tiled March I2, 1901- Serial No. 50,803. V (Nomodel.)

.To @ZZ whom t may concern: l

Be it known that I, Snrn A. CRoNE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dust-Guards for 4Car-Axle Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in dust-guards for car-axle boxes;and it consists in the nevel features and combinations of partshereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In its preferred embodiment my invention consists in a dust-guardcapable of being applied to or removed from its operative positionwithin the journal-box while the end of the car-axle is therein andwithout disturbing said axle, and this preferred embodiment of myinvention is the one illustrated in the drawings forming a part of thisapplication, from which it will be seen that the body of the dust-guardis of plaited textile or fibrous material in the form of a split ringapplied to and around the car-axle and held in position thereon by meansof a spring-band,which is secured along the outer edges of said ring andoperates by its own inherent tension to close the ring against thecar-axle. In crosssection the ring of textile or fibrous material issubstantially rectangular in outline and in use is intended tooccupy-the full width of the space provided in car-axle boxes to receivethe dust-guard. It is desirable that the dust-guard ring shall closely tagainst the car-axle; but it is also desirable that the ring shall notbe capable of turning to any material extent with the car-axle, andhence in the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings Iprovide at the upper side of the car-axle a block approximately oftriangular shape whose lower edges are adapted to the circle of the axleand whose wedgelike side edges pass beneath the ends of the dust-guardring, so that the dust-guard ring at its ends will not rest upon thecar-axle, but will bind against the opposite inclined side surfaces ofthe said block. The block not only receives the ends of the dust-guardring, but creates a suitable projection which during the turning of thecar-axle will meet the edge walls of the dust-guard chamber and serve toprevent the dust-guard ring from being carried around with the car-axle,said dust-guard ring and block turning with the car-axle only until saidprojection reaches the edge Wall of the dust-guard chamber, when thedust-guard ring and its interposed block will become arrested.

While I do not limit theinvention to all of the details of forni andconstruction illustrated in the drawings, the invention willbc fullyunderstood by reference thereto in connection with the descriptionhercinafterprcsented.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a central verticallongitudinal section through a car-axle box equipped with a dust-guardconstructed in accordance with and embodying my invention, the end ofthe car-axle being shown in position in said box. Fig. 2 is an enlargedside elevation of a dustguard embodying my invention, the same beingshown as applied to a car-axle, the latter beingin cross-section. Fig. 3is an edge View of same, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section of same on thedotted line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 10 denotes a usual form of car-axle journal-box, and 1la portion of a car-axle shown in position within said box. The axle-box10 is provided at its inner end with the vertical dust-guard space 12,formed between the vertical walls 13 14, through suitable openingsinwhich walls the car-axle passes, as shown in Fig. 1, and into whichspace 12 is placed the dust-guard of my invention to encircle said axleand prevent the entrance of dust or other foreign matter to thejournalbox.

The dust-guard of my invention is illustrated in position in Fig. lwithin the dustguard space 12, but is more clearly illustrated in Figs.2, 3, and 4, in which it may be seen thatthe dust-guard comprises thestrip of iiexible material l5, the metallic spring-band 16, applied uponthe outer edges of the strip or ring l5, and the block 17, which isinterposed between the facing ends of the strip or ring 15 and alsobetween the inner surfaces of the ends of said strip or ring 15 and thesurface of the car-axle l1. The block 1'7 when viewed in side elevationis approximately of triangular shape and has its lower surface madeconcave to fit upon the car-axle 11, as

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shown in Fig. 2, while its side portions are of wedgeV shape and passbetween the surface of the car-axle and the inner surfaces of the endsof the dustguard ring. The block 17 receives upon its opposite inclinededges the ends of the dust-guard ring and performs several functions,one being to keep the extreme edges of the ring from being engaged byand frayed or worn out under the action of the car-axle and anotherbeing to form a projecting portion, which, in connection with the endsof the dust-.guard ring, will during the travel of the car engage theedge walls of the dust-guard space 12 and prevent the dustguard frombeing carried around Withvthe car-axle. The block 17 substantially illsthe space between .the vertical side Walls 13 14 of the dust-guardchamber, as shown in Fig. 1, and in addition to its other duties servesas a bearing for the ends of the dust-guard ring and prevents theentrance of dust or other foreign matter through the space between 'theends of the said ring,and also prevents the end edges of the dust-guardring from being carried into the openings in the Walls 13 14,

I through which the car-axle passes.

The band 16 is of spring metal and extends along the entire periphery ofthe flexible strip or ring 15 and over the ends of said ring, and saidband 16 is secured at its ends to the ring 15 and at one or moreintermediate points as may be necessary. The band 16 exerts a springtension to close the strip or ring 15 against the car-axle, and withoutpulling, straining, or distorting the strip or ring 15 causes the samethroughout its entire contacting surfaces to closely and uniformly hugagainst the axle. The band 16 will be slightly less in width than thedust-guard space 12, so as not to bind against the walls 13 14 thereof.During the insertion of the strip or ring 15 around the car-axle theband 16 will by reason of its tendency to curl around the axle aid indirecting the said strip or ring to position, and after said strip orring has been applied around the axle the band 16 Will maintain it inproper position.

The strip or ring 15 may be applied to its operative position shown byfirst inserting one end thereof downward along one side of the car-axleand then feeding and pushing the ring in the direction of said end untilsaid end has passed below and arisen along the opposite side ofthe'car-axle to about the position shown, the block 17 being placed inposition on the axle either before or after the ring 15 has been appliedaround the axle. The spring-band 16 causes the ring 15 to cling to andfollow along the surface of the axle during the application of said ringto its operative position. The ring 15 will swell somewhat While in use,due to the oil taken up by it, but can be removed from the axle bypulling upward on one of its ends.

The flexible strip or ring 15 in its preferred form is rectangular incross-section and of substantial proportions and formed from plaits eachcomposed of a series of textile strands, as shown in Fig. 2. Theplaiting of the strip or ring 15 is done a little looselythat is, sothat the body of the strip or ring 15 shall not be a rigid plaited body,but one capable ofI having an inherent yielding or spring-like actionand adapted to absorb grease or oil and swell with such absorption to asufficient extent to fill the space between the adjacent walls 13 14 ofthe dust-guard space without becoming unduly wedged in said space. Theplaited strip or ring 15 is of great efficiency and durability and formsan absorbent body which as a dust-guard ring is highly advantageous.

I do not, of course, limit the invention in every particular to theemployment of the loosely-plaited strip or ring 15, since the inventionis one of merit apart from the special formation of the said strip orring; but I do clain asa part of myinvention the dust-guard strip orring 15 when formed of the textile plaits and possessed of thecharacteristics hereinbefore described.

The invention is not limited in every instance to the employment of thespring-band 16, as will be understood from the claims hereinafterpresented; but a part of the invention is limited to said spring-band 16in the combinations in which said band is hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The dust-guard comprising the flexible strip 15 adapted to encirclethe car-axle Within the dust-guard space of the axle-box, said ringbeing substantially rectangular in cross! section and formed ofloosely-plaited textile strands, so as to form a yielding and absorbentbody, said strip or ring being of substantial proportions so as toeffectually constitute the dust-guard proper, combined with a springconnected with said strip or ring and exerting its tension to keep saidstrip or ring against the car-axle; substantially as set forth.

2. The dust-guard comprising the iiexible strip or ring adapted to thecar-axle, and composed of the plaited textile strands, combined with thespring-band encircling the outer edges of said strip or ring andexerting its force to keep said strip or ring against the car-axle;substantially as set forth.

3. The dust guard comprising a iiexible strip or ring 15 of substantialproportions and constituting the dust-guard proper, said ring being of awidth substantially equal to that of the space in the axle-box toreceive it, combined with the spring-band 16 secured on the periphery ofsaid strip or ring and having a normal tension to close said strip orring with a uniform vpressure around th'e car-axle, said spring-band 16being also of sufficient flexibility and proper proportions to enablethe strip or ring carrying it to be applied to and removed from itsoperative position without listprbing the caraxle; substantially as setOrt i. Y

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4. The dust-guard comprising a flexible strip or ring l5 of substantialproportions and constituting the dust-guard proper, combined with thespring-band 16 secured on the periphery of said strip or ring and havinga normal tension to close said strip or ring with a uniform pressurearound the car-axle, and the approximately triangularly shaped block 17interposed between the car-axle and the ends of said strip or ring, thesaid ends of said strip or ring being extended upon the opposite sidesof said block; substantially as set forth.

' 5. The dust-guard comprising the iexible strip or ring 15 of plaitedtextile strands, the spring-band 16 on the outer edges on said strip orring and exerting its force to close said strip or ring around the axle,and theV and State of Kansas, this 8th day of March, 3o

SETH A. CRONE.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. HOWARD, D. B. NEVINs.

